Unlike Robert Doyle’s Team the Columb/Snedden team has close ties to the Melbourne community. But as talent, skill and form mean little in show business and the race for Lord Mayor is more about smoke and mirrors then substance.

Whilst not a favourite it is still a team to watch and a serious contender for the long shot. Columb and Snedden should receive considerable backing from the conservative small business and resident community.

Unlike Robert Doyle’s Team the Columb/Snedden team has close ties to the Melbourne community. But as talent, skill and form mean little in show business and the race for Lord Mayor is more about smoke and mirrors then substance.

Whilst not a favourite it is still a team to watch and a serious contender for the long shot. Columb and Snedden should receive considerable backing from the conservative small business and resident community.

Unlike Robert Doyle’s Team the Columb/Snedden team has close ties to the Melbourne community. But as talent, skill and form mean little in show business and the race for Lord Mayor is more about smoke and mirrors then substance.

Whilst not a favourite it is still a team to watch and a serious contender for the long shot. Columb and Snedden should receive considerable backing from the conservative small business and resident community.

Melbourne City Councillor, Fiona Snedden, has pulled the plug on teen model’s fashion career – the reason she is only 15. Cr Sneden considers she is morally bound to object to the girl who was chosen to be the face of Melbourne fashion week to strut the cat walk.

The fashion industry is a tough business and when mixed with petty politics it becomes even tougher.

Teen model, Claire Quirk, who turn 16 on the day of the Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival had her parent’s approval who also accompanied her on assignments as she pursued a career in modelling.

Cr Sneden claims that as a mother she has the right to veto the choice of the Fashion festival selectors and organisers and decide what is best.

At 15 a person can legally leave school and take up employment as a waitress, nurse or trades person apprentice. Even childhood performance stars, as we saw every week on the Young Talent Team a TV series that sparked multi-million dollar careers at a younger age can take up show business career but not it appears in the modelling industry according to Cr Sneden.

Undoubtedly Cr Sneden thought of the influence it would have on other young teenagers of Clair’s age. I wonder if she thought about the moral dilemma and effect on young children when she was pulled over for being over the limit?

Melbourne City Council has dumped the face of its coming Melbourne Spring Fashion Week because of her age.

Fifteen-year-old Claire Quirk was to be crowned “the face” of the fashion week, and appear on catwalks at many of the festival’s 142 events.

Ms Quirk, a year 11 student accompanied to all public appearances by her parents or a chaperone, turns 16 on the day she was to tread the catwalk at the opening gala of the festival, which runs from September 3 to 9.

But Cr Fiona Sneden, who chairs the council’s business committee, objected to the selection choice of such a young girl by the Melbourne City Council’s marketing officers.

“As a parent, I have a fundamental issue about this,” she said. “Fifteen is just too young. There needs to be a time when we stop and say, ‘Is it wrong to have models this young?’, doesn’t there?”

The council’s move follows the British fashion industry panel’s Model Health Inquiry, which last week recommended banning models aged under 16 from London Fashion Week.

The British report called for a scientific study into the prevalence of eating disorders among fashion models, and an investigation into whether a minimum body-mass index requirement should be introduced for London Fashion Week models, a measure already adopted by Madrid fashion week.

Australia’s main fashion industry body supported the restrictions on models younger than 16 working at big fashion shows, saying younger teenagers were ill-equipped to face issues such as sexualisation, alcohol and rejection.

Australian Fashion Council manager Zoe Edquist said yesterday that Melbourne’s fashion festivals were “adult environments”, and that younger teenage models must be chaperoned.

Ms Edquist, whose organisation represents more than 200 fashion businesses, said: “Children under the age of 16 – and they are really children – are in a very adult industry. It’s not an adult industry in the way the pornography industry is adult, but it is a grown-up environment.”

If the environment was properly controlled, there was not a problem, Ms Edquist said. Once children were older than 16, they would be able to handle themselves. “I think 16 is the age of consent, but I think it’s also generally considered an age when young people are able to handle themselves in a grown-up environment.”

Cr Snedden, who has a seven-year-old daughter, also objected to having such a young face as the figurehead of the festival because it was “the wrong demographic” to attract shoppers to Melbourne.

“The demographic we are pitching to is a young, savvy gen X and gen Y demographic, and to women who are my age,” said Cr Snedden, 51.

Ms Quirk and her parents yesterday declined to speak to The Age about Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.

But her agency, Chadwick Models, said she would have made an excellent face of the festival.

“We don’t want her to be singled out as the model that was dumped as the face of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week because she was too young,” Chadwick model booker Lyli Estalote said.

“She is almost 16, but we understand the conservativeness of society.”

Ms Quirk until recently lived in Singapore with her parents, Ms Estalote said. “She was probably Singapore’s most photographed model.”

Melbourne City Councillor, Fiona Snedden, has pulled the plug on teen model’s fashion career – the reason she is only 15. Cr Sneden considers she is morally bound to object to the girl who was chosen to be the face of Melbourne fashion week to strut the cat walk.

The fashion industry is a tough business and when mixed with petty politics it becomes even tougher.

Teen model, Claire Quirk, who turn 16 on the day of the Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival had her parent’s approval who also accompanied her on assignments as she pursued a career in modelling.

Cr Sneden claims that as a mother she has the right to veto the choice of the Fashion festival selectors and organisers and decide what is best.

At 15 a person can legally leave school and take up employment as a waitress, nurse or trades person apprentice. Even childhood performance stars, as we saw every week on the Young Talent Team a TV series that sparked multi-million dollar careers at a younger age can take up show business career but not it appears in the modelling industry according to Cr Sneden.

Undoubtedly Cr Sneden thought of the influence it would have on other young teenagers of Clair’s age. I wonder if she thought about the moral dilemma and effect on young children when she was pulled over for being over the limit?

Melbourne City Council has dumped the face of its coming Melbourne Spring Fashion Week because of her age.

Fifteen-year-old Claire Quirk was to be crowned “the face” of the fashion week, and appear on catwalks at many of the festival’s 142 events.

Ms Quirk, a year 11 student accompanied to all public appearances by her parents or a chaperone, turns 16 on the day she was to tread the catwalk at the opening gala of the festival, which runs from September 3 to 9.

But Cr Fiona Sneden, who chairs the council’s business committee, objected to the selection choice of such a young girl by the Melbourne City Council’s marketing officers.

“As a parent, I have a fundamental issue about this,” she said. “Fifteen is just too young. There needs to be a time when we stop and say, ‘Is it wrong to have models this young?’, doesn’t there?”

The council’s move follows the British fashion industry panel’s Model Health Inquiry, which last week recommended banning models aged under 16 from London Fashion Week.

The British report called for a scientific study into the prevalence of eating disorders among fashion models, and an investigation into whether a minimum body-mass index requirement should be introduced for London Fashion Week models, a measure already adopted by Madrid fashion week.

Australia’s main fashion industry body supported the restrictions on models younger than 16 working at big fashion shows, saying younger teenagers were ill-equipped to face issues such as sexualisation, alcohol and rejection.

Australian Fashion Council manager Zoe Edquist said yesterday that Melbourne’s fashion festivals were “adult environments”, and that younger teenage models must be chaperoned.

Ms Edquist, whose organisation represents more than 200 fashion businesses, said: “Children under the age of 16 – and they are really children – are in a very adult industry. It’s not an adult industry in the way the pornography industry is adult, but it is a grown-up environment.”

If the environment was properly controlled, there was not a problem, Ms Edquist said. Once children were older than 16, they would be able to handle themselves. “I think 16 is the age of consent, but I think it’s also generally considered an age when young people are able to handle themselves in a grown-up environment.”

Cr Snedden, who has a seven-year-old daughter, also objected to having such a young face as the figurehead of the festival because it was “the wrong demographic” to attract shoppers to Melbourne.

“The demographic we are pitching to is a young, savvy gen X and gen Y demographic, and to women who are my age,” said Cr Snedden, 51.

Ms Quirk and her parents yesterday declined to speak to The Age about Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.

But her agency, Chadwick Models, said she would have made an excellent face of the festival.

“We don’t want her to be singled out as the model that was dumped as the face of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week because she was too young,” Chadwick model booker Lyli Estalote said.

“She is almost 16, but we understand the conservativeness of society.”

Ms Quirk until recently lived in Singapore with her parents, Ms Estalote said. “She was probably Singapore’s most photographed model.”

Melbourne City Councillor, Fiona Snedden, has pulled the plug on teen model’s fashion career – the reason she is only 15. Cr Sneden considers she is morally bound to object to the girl who was chosen to be the face of Melbourne fashion week to strut the cat walk.

The fashion industry is a tough business and when mixed with petty politics it becomes even tougher.

Teen model, Claire Quirk, who turn 16 on the day of the Melbourne Spring Fashion Festival had her parent’s approval who also accompanied her on assignments as she pursued a career in modelling.

Cr Sneden claims that as a mother she has the right to veto the choice of the Fashion festival selectors and organisers and decide what is best.

At 15 a person can legally leave school and take up employment as a waitress, nurse or trades person apprentice. Even childhood performance stars, as we saw every week on the Young Talent Team a TV series that sparked multi-million dollar careers at a younger age can take up show business career but not it appears in the modelling industry according to Cr Sneden.

Undoubtedly Cr Sneden thought of the influence it would have on other young teenagers of Clair’s age. I wonder if she thought about the moral dilemma and effect on young children when she was pulled over for being over the limit?

Melbourne City Council has dumped the face of its coming Melbourne Spring Fashion Week because of her age.

Fifteen-year-old Claire Quirk was to be crowned “the face” of the fashion week, and appear on catwalks at many of the festival’s 142 events.

Ms Quirk, a year 11 student accompanied to all public appearances by her parents or a chaperone, turns 16 on the day she was to tread the catwalk at the opening gala of the festival, which runs from September 3 to 9.

But Cr Fiona Sneden, who chairs the council’s business committee, objected to the selection choice of such a young girl by the Melbourne City Council’s marketing officers.

“As a parent, I have a fundamental issue about this,” she said. “Fifteen is just too young. There needs to be a time when we stop and say, ‘Is it wrong to have models this young?’, doesn’t there?”

The council’s move follows the British fashion industry panel’s Model Health Inquiry, which last week recommended banning models aged under 16 from London Fashion Week.

The British report called for a scientific study into the prevalence of eating disorders among fashion models, and an investigation into whether a minimum body-mass index requirement should be introduced for London Fashion Week models, a measure already adopted by Madrid fashion week.

Australia’s main fashion industry body supported the restrictions on models younger than 16 working at big fashion shows, saying younger teenagers were ill-equipped to face issues such as sexualisation, alcohol and rejection.

Australian Fashion Council manager Zoe Edquist said yesterday that Melbourne’s fashion festivals were “adult environments”, and that younger teenage models must be chaperoned.

Ms Edquist, whose organisation represents more than 200 fashion businesses, said: “Children under the age of 16 – and they are really children – are in a very adult industry. It’s not an adult industry in the way the pornography industry is adult, but it is a grown-up environment.”

If the environment was properly controlled, there was not a problem, Ms Edquist said. Once children were older than 16, they would be able to handle themselves. “I think 16 is the age of consent, but I think it’s also generally considered an age when young people are able to handle themselves in a grown-up environment.”

Cr Snedden, who has a seven-year-old daughter, also objected to having such a young face as the figurehead of the festival because it was “the wrong demographic” to attract shoppers to Melbourne.

“The demographic we are pitching to is a young, savvy gen X and gen Y demographic, and to women who are my age,” said Cr Snedden, 51.

Ms Quirk and her parents yesterday declined to speak to The Age about Melbourne Spring Fashion Week.

But her agency, Chadwick Models, said she would have made an excellent face of the festival.

“We don’t want her to be singled out as the model that was dumped as the face of Melbourne Spring Fashion Week because she was too young,” Chadwick model booker Lyli Estalote said.

“She is almost 16, but we understand the conservativeness of society.”

Ms Quirk until recently lived in Singapore with her parents, Ms Estalote said. “She was probably Singapore’s most photographed model.”

Melbourne City Councillor Carl Jetter, a loyal member of John So’s team, got a little bitchy at last weeks Council meeting.

Carl Jetter (alisa’s Carl the Jetsetter), recently returned Melbourne after jetsetting off on another visit to China to promote the good work of Melbourne City Council. Carl decided that other councillors should not be allowed to travel when he questioned and refused an application by Melbourne City Liberal Councillor Fiona Sneden.

Councillor Snedden had made an application to visit St. Petersburg, Melbourne City Council’s forgotten Sister City. Melbourne has not paid a visit to St Petersburg for over five years.

It is well known that the City Council uses overseas travel as a way of rewarding Councillors for good behaviour. It may be cynical but could Councillor Jeter’s change of policy have something to do with the fact that Councillor Snedden voted in support of a no-confidence motion against Melbourne’s Lord Mayor John So last month?

Looks like the Russian member of the family misses out to China again whilst Melbourne considers adopting a new Indian Sister into the family.

Melbourne City Councillor Carl Jetter, a loyal member of John So’s team, got a little bitchy at last weeks Council meeting.

Carl Jetter (alisa’s Carl the Jetsetter), recently returned Melbourne after jetsetting off on another visit to China to promote the good work of Melbourne City Council. Carl decided that other councillors should not be allowed to travel when he questioned and refused an application by Melbourne City Liberal Councillor Fiona Sneden.

Councillor Snedden had made an application to visit St. Petersburg, Melbourne City Council’s forgotten Sister City. Melbourne has not paid a visit to St Petersburg for over five years.

It is well known that the City Council uses overseas travel as a way of rewarding Councillors for good behaviour. It may be cynical but could Councillor Jeter’s change of policy have something to do with the fact that Councillor Snedden voted in support of a no-confidence motion against Melbourne’s Lord Mayor John So last month?

Looks like the Russian member of the family misses out to China again whilst Melbourne considers adopting a new Indian Sister into the family.

Melbourne City Councillor Carl Jetter, a loyal member of John So’s team, got a little bitchy at last weeks Council meeting.

Carl Jetter (alisa’s Carl the Jetsetter), recently returned Melbourne after jetsetting off on another visit to China to promote the good work of Melbourne City Council. Carl decided that other councillors should not be allowed to travel when he questioned and refused an application by Melbourne City Liberal Councillor Fiona Sneden.

Councillor Snedden had made an application to visit St. Petersburg, Melbourne City Council’s forgotten Sister City. Melbourne has not paid a visit to St Petersburg for over five years.

It is well known that the City Council uses overseas travel as a way of rewarding Councillors for good behaviour. It may be cynical but could Councillor Jeter’s change of policy have something to do with the fact that Councillor Snedden voted in support of a no-confidence motion against Melbourne’s Lord Mayor John So last month?

Looks like the Russian member of the family misses out to China again whilst Melbourne considers adopting a new Indian Sister into the family.

The Melbourne City Council has proposed the re-establishment of a special Travel Committee to decide who and when Councillors can seek to take holidays at ratepayers expenses.

Melbourne’s most travelled Councillor, Liberal Party member – Fiona Sneden, has proposed that the Council removes delegated authority for approval of Councillor Travel from the Lord Mayor and transfers that responsibility back to a special committee titled “Council International Connections Committee” (CICC).

This committee is a waste of time and resources and should be rejected as it currently is proposed..

Whilst there is merit in removing delegated authority from the Lord Mayor the resurrection of the disgraced Travel Committee is not necessary. There already is a committee in place that can and should consider Council travel issues. It is called the Finance and Governance Committee.

Council staff have already strategically removed the right of the Finance and Governance Committee to consider and decide on issues related to governance.

The establishment of another Special Travel committee be it under a “new name” is necessary and a waste of limited resources. All that the proposal by Cr Sneden serves is to avoid public awareness and the right of the public to monitor and review the Council and the larks and perks that Councillors continue to seek to regard themselves for being good councillors.

All Council’s International and Interstate Travel should be included and attached to the Finance Committee without the need and expense associated with the cost of establishing another useless inappropriate committee that meets behind closed doors away from the public eye.

It never ceases to amuse that the Council staff, in this case Linda Weatherson, falsely states in her report ” There are no direct financial implications relating to the adoption of the recommendations contained in this report”.

It appears that the City Council is more concerned about councilor benefits and travel then about good governance and representation.

The Melbourne City Council has proposed the re-establishment of a special Travel Committee to decide who and when Councillors can seek to take holidays at ratepayers expenses.

Melbourne’s most travelled Councillor, Liberal Party member – Fiona Sneden, has proposed that the Council removes delegated authority for approval of Councillor Travel from the Lord Mayor and transfers that responsibility back to a special committee titled “Council International Connections Committee” (CICC).

This committee is a waste of time and resources and should be rejected as it currently is proposed..

Whilst there is merit in removing delegated authority from the Lord Mayor the resurrection of the disgraced Travel Committee is not necessary. There already is a committee in place that can and should consider Council travel issues. It is called the Finance and Governance Committee.

Council staff have already strategically removed the right of the Finance and Governance Committee to consider and decide on issues related to governance.

The establishment of another Special Travel committee be it under a “new name” is necessary and a waste of limited resources. All that the proposal by Cr Sneden serves is to avoid public awareness and the right of the public to monitor and review the Council and the larks and perks that Councillors continue to seek to regard themselves for being good councillors.

All Council’s International and Interstate Travel should be included and attached to the Finance Committee without the need and expense associated with the cost of establishing another useless inappropriate committee that meets behind closed doors away from the public eye.

It never ceases to amuse that the Council staff, in this case Linda Weatherson, falsely states in her report ” There are no direct financial implications relating to the adoption of the recommendations contained in this report”.

It appears that the City Council is more concerned about councilor benefits and travel then about good governance and representation.

The Melbourne City Council has proposed the re-establishment of a special Travel Committee to decide who and when Councillors can seek to take holidays at ratepayers expenses.

Melbourne’s most travelled Councillor, Liberal Party member – Fiona Sneden, has proposed that the Council removes delegated authority for approval of Councillor Travel from the Lord Mayor and transfers that responsibility back to a special committee titled “Council International Connections Committee” (CICC).

This committee is a waste of time and resources and should be rejected as it currently is proposed..

Whilst there is merit in removing delegated authority from the Lord Mayor the resurrection of the disgraced Travel Committee is not necessary. There already is a committee in place that can and should consider Council travel issues. It is called the Finance and Governance Committee.

Council staff have already strategically removed the right of the Finance and Governance Committee to consider and decide on issues related to governance.

The establishment of another Special Travel committee be it under a “new name” is necessary and a waste of limited resources. All that the proposal by Cr Sneden serves is to avoid public awareness and the right of the public to monitor and review the Council and the larks and perks that Councillors continue to seek to regard themselves for being good councillors.

All Council’s International and Interstate Travel should be included and attached to the Finance Committee without the need and expense associated with the cost of establishing another useless inappropriate committee that meets behind closed doors away from the public eye.

It never ceases to amuse that the Council staff, in this case Linda Weatherson, falsely states in her report ” There are no direct financial implications relating to the adoption of the recommendations contained in this report”.

It appears that the City Council is more concerned about councilor benefits and travel then about good governance and representation.

The Age today has reported that Liberal Party Councillor Fiona Sneden coaching lessons. State MP Louise Asher’s former chief of Staff, Brett Barton, was paid $5,600 to advise Cr Sneden. Councillor Sneden’s expenses were made known following publication of the the City of Melbourne’s Councillor expense.

Missing from the councillor expense statements are costs related to Councillor’s allowances and additional expenses that the council has not disclosed. Creative accounting and hidden costs are an art form when it comes to the corrupt Council administration.

It appears that the Council administration, having been caught out, has gone back and modified past expense statements to include expenses that were not previously reported. Under Council guidelines all expenses should be finalised “acquitted” within one month of the expenses occurring. review of the published statements indicate that the summary results published by the City Council are false and incorrect. (It looks as though the Council Goverance/Finance department can not add up correctly).

Questions are still outstanding with the Council administration filing to respond to previous correspondence highlighting a number of issues identified in relation to the accuracy of Council’s expense and travel statements.

Last year the City Council was subject to an Ombudsman investigation that showed up similar problems in relational to the City Councils accounting and administration. A number of Council staff reigned and or were allocated alternative employment following the Ombudsman inquiry. Former City Council’s Legal Officer Alison Lyon resigned and Linda Weatherson as been removed from her role as Council governance director. Ms Weatherson was implicated in the “Acquittal” scandal related to a previous cover-up of undisclosed Councillor expense in 2003.

Despite promises made by the City Councillors, Melbourne’s City Council’s “Car Fee City policy”, costs related to John So and Gary Singers Council funded Limousines still do not appear in the Councillor expense statements.

It is estimated that the associated missing costs adds around $2,500,00 per year to the costs of servicing our City fathers and daughters. Including in this estimate is the costs of Internal catering and the Council’s free open booze bar, the later which the Age reported as possibly contributing to Cr Sneden’s $1,000 in fines and a loss of her driving licence for 4 years.

Responsible Governance – No Way.

The above graph shows consolidated reported Councillor’s expenses for the mid term of the current Council Dec 2004 to Dec 2006 (Including the adjustments made to the ‘dodgy’ July to October 2006 statements)

City council paid Liberal staffer $5600 to mentor Cr SnedenFebruary 2, 2007Source: The Age

MELBOURNE City Council has paid $5600 for Liberal Party blue-blood Fiona Sneden to receive mentoring from a Liberal Party strategist.

The payments, of around $220 a week over the past six months, were paid to Brett Barton, former chief of staff to Liberal MP Louise Asher.

Cr Sneden last night defended the use of ratepayers’ money to pay for professional mentoring, saying it was about getting better results for the council, not personal improvement.

“Professional mentoring is all about me being better prepared to deal with issues that face my constituents,” Cr Sneden said.

Cr Sneden said Mr Barton provided her with “leadership coaching”, not counselling.

“The coaching means understanding and how to deal with aspects of council. It means basically anything that I need mentoring for.

“I have a part-time secretary but I felt that there was not the support or the mentoring that was required,” said Cr Sneden, who argued that councillors at the City of Melbourne were not adequately supported.

“It is considered part-time employment and Town Hall does not provide any expert advice.”

Her adviser Mr Barton has worked for several high-profile Liberals, most recently Liberal major projects spokesman David Davis, in the lead-up to last year’s state election.

Mr Barton could not be reached for comment last night. But Louise Asher said Mr Barton was an experienced adviser with “a good political nose”.

A list of councillor expenses released by Melbourne City Council this week also revealed that, in 2006, Cr Sneden claimed $35,072 in expenses — $20,000 more than any of eight other Melbourne councillors over the same period.

Former lord mayor Kevin Chamberlin said it was a disgrace that the city council was paying for its elected representatives to be trained to be more effective councillors.

“This is a direct result of the election system put in place by the Bracks Government that was deliberately designed to get elected poor quality councillors,” Mr Chamberlin said. “The constituents have well and truly been paying for it for a long time, and not just in money.”

The Age today has reported that Liberal Party Councillor Fiona Sneden coaching lessons. State MP Louise Asher’s former chief of Staff, Brett Barton, was paid $5,600 to advise Cr Sneden. Councillor Sneden’s expenses were made known following publication of the the City of Melbourne’s Councillor expense.

Missing from the councillor expense statements are costs related to Councillor’s allowances and additional expenses that the council has not disclosed. Creative accounting and hidden costs are an art form when it comes to the corrupt Council administration.

It appears that the Council administration, having been caught out, has gone back and modified past expense statements to include expenses that were not previously reported. Under Council guidelines all expenses should be finalised “acquitted” within one month of the expenses occurring. review of the published statements indicate that the summary results published by the City Council are false and incorrect. (It looks as though the Council Goverance/Finance department can not add up correctly).

Questions are still outstanding with the Council administration filing to respond to previous correspondence highlighting a number of issues identified in relation to the accuracy of Council’s expense and travel statements.

Last year the City Council was subject to an Ombudsman investigation that showed up similar problems in relational to the City Councils accounting and administration. A number of Council staff reigned and or were allocated alternative employment following the Ombudsman inquiry. Former City Council’s Legal Officer Alison Lyon resigned and Linda Weatherson as been removed from her role as Council governance director. Ms Weatherson was implicated in the “Acquittal” scandal related to a previous cover-up of undisclosed Councillor expense in 2003.

Despite promises made by the City Councillors, Melbourne’s City Council’s “Car Fee City policy”, costs related to John So and Gary Singers Council funded Limousines still do not appear in the Councillor expense statements.

It is estimated that the associated missing costs adds around $2,500,00 per year to the costs of servicing our City fathers and daughters. Including in this estimate is the costs of Internal catering and the Council’s free open booze bar, the later which the Age reported as possibly contributing to Cr Sneden’s $1,000 in fines and a loss of her driving licence for 4 years.

Responsible Governance – No Way.

The above graph shows consolidated reported Councillor’s expenses for the mid term of the current Council Dec 2004 to Dec 2006 (Including the adjustments made to the ‘dodgy’ July to October 2006 statements)

City council paid Liberal staffer $5600 to mentor Cr SnedenFebruary 2, 2007Source: The Age

MELBOURNE City Council has paid $5600 for Liberal Party blue-blood Fiona Sneden to receive mentoring from a Liberal Party strategist.

The payments, of around $220 a week over the past six months, were paid to Brett Barton, former chief of staff to Liberal MP Louise Asher.

Cr Sneden last night defended the use of ratepayers’ money to pay for professional mentoring, saying it was about getting better results for the council, not personal improvement.

“Professional mentoring is all about me being better prepared to deal with issues that face my constituents,” Cr Sneden said.

Cr Sneden said Mr Barton provided her with “leadership coaching”, not counselling.

“The coaching means understanding and how to deal with aspects of council. It means basically anything that I need mentoring for.

“I have a part-time secretary but I felt that there was not the support or the mentoring that was required,” said Cr Sneden, who argued that councillors at the City of Melbourne were not adequately supported.

“It is considered part-time employment and Town Hall does not provide any expert advice.”

Her adviser Mr Barton has worked for several high-profile Liberals, most recently Liberal major projects spokesman David Davis, in the lead-up to last year’s state election.

Mr Barton could not be reached for comment last night. But Louise Asher said Mr Barton was an experienced adviser with “a good political nose”.

A list of councillor expenses released by Melbourne City Council this week also revealed that, in 2006, Cr Sneden claimed $35,072 in expenses — $20,000 more than any of eight other Melbourne councillors over the same period.

Former lord mayor Kevin Chamberlin said it was a disgrace that the city council was paying for its elected representatives to be trained to be more effective councillors.

“This is a direct result of the election system put in place by the Bracks Government that was deliberately designed to get elected poor quality councillors,” Mr Chamberlin said. “The constituents have well and truly been paying for it for a long time, and not just in money.”

The Age today has reported that Liberal Party Councillor Fiona Sneden coaching lessons. State MP Louise Asher’s former chief of Staff, Brett Barton, was paid $5,600 to advise Cr Sneden. Councillor Sneden’s expenses were made known following publication of the the City of Melbourne’s Councillor expense.

Missing from the councillor expense statements are costs related to Councillor’s allowances and additional expenses that the council has not disclosed. Creative accounting and hidden costs are an art form when it comes to the corrupt Council administration.

It appears that the Council administration, having been caught out, has gone back and modified past expense statements to include expenses that were not previously reported. Under Council guidelines all expenses should be finalised “acquitted” within one month of the expenses occurring. review of the published statements indicate that the summary results published by the City Council are false and incorrect. (It looks as though the Council Goverance/Finance department can not add up correctly).

Questions are still outstanding with the Council administration filing to respond to previous correspondence highlighting a number of issues identified in relation to the accuracy of Council’s expense and travel statements.

Last year the City Council was subject to an Ombudsman investigation that showed up similar problems in relational to the City Councils accounting and administration. A number of Council staff reigned and or were allocated alternative employment following the Ombudsman inquiry. Former City Council’s Legal Officer Alison Lyon resigned and Linda Weatherson as been removed from her role as Council governance director. Ms Weatherson was implicated in the “Acquittal” scandal related to a previous cover-up of undisclosed Councillor expense in 2003.

Despite promises made by the City Councillors, Melbourne’s City Council’s “Car Fee City policy”, costs related to John So and Gary Singers Council funded Limousines still do not appear in the Councillor expense statements.

It is estimated that the associated missing costs adds around $2,500,00 per year to the costs of servicing our City fathers and daughters. Including in this estimate is the costs of Internal catering and the Council’s free open booze bar, the later which the Age reported as possibly contributing to Cr Sneden’s $1,000 in fines and a loss of her driving licence for 4 years.

Responsible Governance – No Way.

The above graph shows consolidated reported Councillor’s expenses for the mid term of the current Council Dec 2004 to Dec 2006 (Including the adjustments made to the ‘dodgy’ July to October 2006 statements)

City council paid Liberal staffer $5600 to mentor Cr SnedenFebruary 2, 2007Source: The Age

MELBOURNE City Council has paid $5600 for Liberal Party blue-blood Fiona Sneden to receive mentoring from a Liberal Party strategist.

The payments, of around $220 a week over the past six months, were paid to Brett Barton, former chief of staff to Liberal MP Louise Asher.

Cr Sneden last night defended the use of ratepayers’ money to pay for professional mentoring, saying it was about getting better results for the council, not personal improvement.

“Professional mentoring is all about me being better prepared to deal with issues that face my constituents,” Cr Sneden said.

Cr Sneden said Mr Barton provided her with “leadership coaching”, not counselling.

“The coaching means understanding and how to deal with aspects of council. It means basically anything that I need mentoring for.

“I have a part-time secretary but I felt that there was not the support or the mentoring that was required,” said Cr Sneden, who argued that councillors at the City of Melbourne were not adequately supported.

“It is considered part-time employment and Town Hall does not provide any expert advice.”

Her adviser Mr Barton has worked for several high-profile Liberals, most recently Liberal major projects spokesman David Davis, in the lead-up to last year’s state election.

Mr Barton could not be reached for comment last night. But Louise Asher said Mr Barton was an experienced adviser with “a good political nose”.

A list of councillor expenses released by Melbourne City Council this week also revealed that, in 2006, Cr Sneden claimed $35,072 in expenses — $20,000 more than any of eight other Melbourne councillors over the same period.

Former lord mayor Kevin Chamberlin said it was a disgrace that the city council was paying for its elected representatives to be trained to be more effective councillors.

“This is a direct result of the election system put in place by the Bracks Government that was deliberately designed to get elected poor quality councillors,” Mr Chamberlin said. “The constituents have well and truly been paying for it for a long time, and not just in money.”